Stansted Airport today reported further progress in building passenger numbers during March, although year-on-year comparisons were skewed by last year’s earlier Easter break.

The airport saw 1.343million passengers pass through its terminal last month, 0.3% down on the March 2013 total of 1.346m which included a boost from the Easter getaway.

However, owner Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which acquired Stansted a year ago from the former BAA group, said that numbers during the first 24 days of March this year were 5.75% up on the corresponding period a year ago.

Last month’s passenger figure takes the rolling 12-month total for Stansted to 17.995m, representing a 2.7% increase during the airport’s first full financial year under MAG ownership.

Andrew Harrison, Stansted’s managing director, said: “To see the number of passengers passing through Stansted in the first financial year of ownership by MAG increase by 2.7% is a massive achievement, especially after six years of declining traffic, and we look forward to once again breaking through the 18 million passenger mark during April.

“We expect the number of passengers using Stansted will increase at a fast pace this year following the recent launch of a number new routes for the summer season as we work with our airline partners to offer even more choice, great service and attract more customers.”

Stansted, which has won the Skytrax “World’s Best Airport for Low-Cost Airlines” award for the past four years, offers flights to more than 150 destinations in more than 30 countries,

During its first year of ownership, MAG has reached new agreements with a number of carriers, including Ryanair, the biggest operator at Stansted, which has added capacity for 1.3million additional passengers to its summer 2014 schedule, including 13 new routes and increased frequencies on a number of others.

Ryanair also plans to add 2 million seats to its schedule for next winter, including eight new routes and additional flights on 36 others.

MAG’s target is to increase Stansted’s annual passenger total to 30m over the next 10 years ? still within the airport’s planning consent for up to 35m passengers ? and work is in progress on an £80m refit of the main terminal building, including a new, enlarged security area which came into use just before Christmas.